WeAreGorillas

Darren Burton: The Man Behind The Lens

[Q] What's going on man! This has been a long time coming for sure. Tell us a little about yourself...

[A] I was born in Chicago, grew up in Colorado. I'm a completely self-taught photographer with a love for portrait photography.

[Q] Do you remember the first time we followed you or you followed us? What were some of your first impressions of UG? And be honest haha! We've weathered many storms so all feedback/critism is welcome.

[A] I came across UG when I was in search of an actual feature account, one that featured many different artists and not just the same 7 creatives like those big time accounts. You guys would occasionally RT my work and I just fell in love with the community honestly, all of a sudden my DMs and followers went up with people encouraging me and it was the first time I actually felt like I was talented.

[Q] What would you say is your favorite shooting style or type of photography? Have any favorite shooters you keep an eye on?

[A] As I previously alluded to, I'm all about portraits, I've got mad attention issues so being able to create and see that instant perfection is everything for me. Honestly you can't call yourself a photographer if you haven't at least heard of Sam Elkins; He's the portrait king and he's the guy I look to for inspiration. There's a guy who's a member of the UG fam named Tessi that I often look to for inspiration also, the dude just has such an amazing eye and his editing skills are insane.

[Q] So I know you're not directly in Denver area but how's the scene out there? A lot of competition or pretty friendly community of freelancers out that way?

[A] I think everywhere you go there's going to be some level of competition and snappyness from opps, that's just kinda the nature of the business; with that being said though, I've met some pretty cool cats out and about, I think Twitter is better than Instagram in that respect, it's easier to connect on this app because it's not as much about follower count, you can also reach a bigger audience this way, it's great.

[Q] There's so many creatives in this space wanting to make a name for themselves, how are you not only setting yourself a part but also what steps would you recommend to other young creatives looking to follow in your footsteps?

[A] I think the biggest way to set yourself apart is to stay true to who you are while also not being afraid to adapt and change some things. Along with that, never compare your progress to others, we all started somewhere and now we're where we are but that took time; Patience is everything.

[Q] I like to end with a quote man, sure everyone is aware that's our little "thing" , so leave me with some of your words of inspiration for our community...

[A] To compare yourself as a creative is like signing your own death warrant, a creative death warrant. Find what works for you, never be afraid to push your limits. Also, when you finally make it, don't forget how it felt when you were on the opposite side.